“You do,” said Peter. “You know her better than anyone else, even better than I. Put that in your mental pipe and smoke it!”
“Saints preserve us!” cried Linda. “I believe the man is planning to take Katy away from me.”
“Not from you,” said Peter, “with you.”
“Let me know about it before you do it,” said Linda with a careless laugh.
“That’s what I’m doing right now,” said Peter.
“And I’m going to school,” said Linda.
“Of course,” said Peter, “but that won’t last forever.”
Linda entered enthusiastically upon the triple task of getting Donald in a proper frame of mind to start to college with the ambition to do good work, of marrying off Eileen and John Gilman, and of giving her best brain and heart to Jane Meredith. When the time came, Donald was ready to enter college comfortable and happy, willing to wait and see what life had in store for him as he lived it.
When she was sure of Eileen past any reasonable doubt Linda took her and John to her workroom one evening and showed them her book contract and the material she had ready, and gave them the best idea she could of what yet remained to be done. She was not prepared for their wholehearted praise, for their delight and appreciation.
Alone, they took counsel as to how they could best help her, and decided that to be married at once and take a long trip abroad would be the best way. That would leave Linda to work in quiet and with no interruption to distract her attention. They could make their home arrangements when they returned.